The purpose of a SMIF system is to isolate the semiconductor fabrication equipment and wafers in a clean environment of class 1, while the handler working in a clean environment of class 100. The SMIF system can effectively reduce the maintenance cost of the IC factory, increase the yield of products, and provide a comfortable working environment for the handler. The SMIF opener is an apparatus for loading/unloading wafers to and from the semiconductor fabrication equipment. Its primary function is to remove a wafer cassette out from a wafer pod. A robot then grabs a single wafer into the fabrication equipment to proceed the fabrication process. The SMIF opener can easily integrate the wafer pod into the fabrication equipment to form an automated wafer separating and fabricating apparatus.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, because an opener 1a in prior art uses three square screws 10a for driving and a universal shaft bearing as a lead device (not shown), the assembling with components of the main body such as a port plate 1a, a port plate supporter 12a, a port door (not shown), and a base 13a does not have a reasonable and modular design. Under the situation that there are many associated components, it is difficult to control the assembling accuracy of components of the main body responsible for the upward and downward movement of the opener. The whole structural rigidity is also not high enough. Moreover, under the situations that the pitch error of the three square screws is large and that the synchronism of their movement is bad, the accuracy of positioning transfer of wafers and the lifetime of the equipment will be deteriorated. The assembling of the opener will also be more difficult. In addition, because the assembling of the main body does not adopt a modular design, the structure of the pod hold-down latch mechanism module and the pod unlock mechanism module, both using the same drive source, will be complicated so that the assembling/disassembling and maintenance are difficult. Moreover, the number of components compatible with wafer pods of different sizes will be decreased.